Start on the home row
Put your left index finger on F and your right index finger on J. Feel the small bumps: they are there so you can find these keys without looking. Your other fingers fall on the keys next to them:
| Finger | Left hand | Right hand |
|---|---|---|
| Index | F (and G) | J (and H) |
| Middle | D | K |
| Ring | S | L |
| Little | A | ; (semicolon) |
| Thumb | Space bar | Space bar |
Every key you type is a short reach from this position, and your finger comes back home afterwards. Watch Meet F and J and Meet the Home Row for a quick visual walk-through.
Learn the keyboard in this order
- Home row: A S D F G H J K L ;
- Top row: Q W E R T Y U I O P
- Bottom row: Z X C V B N M , .
- Capitals and punctuation: Shift with the opposite hand, full stops, commas and question marks
- Numbers and symbols, once letters feel easy
Tutype's touch typing course follows this order, with an on-screen keyboard and hand guide that shows which finger to use for every key.
Keep your eyes on the screen
This is the hard part, and the part that matters. Looking down feels faster at first, but it is what keeps most people stuck at slow speeds. If you forget a key, check the on-screen keyboard instead of your hands. Within a week or two your fingers will remember.
Sit comfortably
Sit back in the chair with your feet on the floor, shoulders relaxed and elbows bent at about a right angle. Keep your wrists off the desk edge and the screen at eye level. See the posture video.
Your first week
- Day 1 to 2: home row keys, slowly and accurately.
- Day 3 to 4: home row words, then add E and I from the top row.
- Day 5 to 7: more of the top row, plus a short review of the home row each day.
Ten to fifteen minutes a day is enough. Stop while you are still accurate.
Courses for every age
Young children can start with kindergarten keyboard games and the typing games. School learners have courses by grade, from Grade 1 to 3 to Grade 10 to 12. Adults new to computers can take Beginner Typing, and there is a Kiswahili course too.